Are your horses turned out separately or together?

[filly190]

I have three mares which I keep together and from time to time my older grumpy mare boots the others. They learn very quickly to keep out the way, so I let them sort themselves out. I have got facilities to seperate them, but then the fencing gets broken.

 

[cosmo]

all mine have individual turnout!!

michelle xxx

 

[FMM]

We split the show horses up so that they are out with their friends - some of them just don't get on! Bob is OK with just about everything, whereas Dolph hates nearly every horse on the yard. There are rarely more than 3 or 4 horses out in the same field at the same time, and they all get turned out and brought in together so there is no jealousy.

 

[Evadiva1514]

Mine are all in individual paddocks with the only exception being the yearlings that are in together, they seem to like it this way as they can see and sniff each other without getting close enough to kick and injure themselves.

 

[SirenaXVI]

Tend to have the old mare and the two year old filly in together, Sirena is usually in with them (but sometimes in diet paddock!). Colin has a field to himself, just in case he fancies a leg over! They all seem fairly happy and Colin can see the others so is relaxed and happy.

 

[MrsMagoo]

My 2 mares used to be together but since the youngest has got back from the vets and is on a strict programme they are divided but still in the same field...Think i will keep it this way from now, as 1. dont want to risk any more injuries to either 2. they seem quite happy this way

They do both get turned out and brought in together though so no jealousy, except in bad weather when they both turn into nutters to lead lol..

 

[KrashnBurn]

At my yard the horses go out in groups of mares and geldings. When a new horse arrives they are put in a separation apddock next door so they can "say hello" for a week before joining the group.

 

[Parkranger]

I think that as humans we muddle up these situations and make the alot less stressful than they should be - we always chucked new horses straight in with each other - obviously we kept an eye on them to make sure they settled down, but I don't actually agree in Geldings and Mares being split up unless there's a specific reason (ie stallions or foals)

 

[piebaldsparkle]

My mare was on her own for a couple of years as no one to go out with

- Livery Yard had a geldings field. Everyone else with mares also had geldings so had their own paddocks and grazed their own horses together. Anyway my friend brought a new gelding and her paddock wasn't big enough to accomodate another so we tried them together - LOVE at 1st sight, so much so they had to be separated during the summer as they didn't stop bonking (no he's no a rig, my mares a tart

). Anyway they are back out together now for the winter and hopefully when the summer comes they will behave themselves!!!!

 

[S_N]

Mare and foal together, with 2 other UNSHOD mares! I will never again turn my horses out with others that have hind shoes on! Seen too many accidents - just not worth it!

 

[Alex_kate]

joey is out on his own, he used to jump out but not towards the other horses, away from them! strange boy, he sometimes did the rounds an jumped into the different paddocks to say hello to the others, which the other owners werent too pleased about! he is quite happy on his own and i know he wont get kicked.

 

[Faithkat]

SN - that is SO true, don't I know it. When my filly was kicked she was out with two other mares (bot shod) so even turning them out with the same sex isn't safe either

 

[loopylis]

I have 3 2 mares and a gelding the mares are together with other mares on yard and gelding is out with the only other gelding on the yard seems better that way mine dont cope well on their own all wimps!!

 

[ecrozier]

I am very lucky in that I have a mare and a gelding who are totally fine together, in fact she is very dependant on him, despite being the boss...fortunately he doesn't get clingy which seems to make her less so! My OH has just bought a mare who will go in with them as she is very sweet natured and unlikely to manage to muscle in at the top of the pecking order (my mare is boss, but never agressive about it! plus has no hind shoes).
Will never put mine with anyone else's horses again though, only done it once in last 3 years and within 24hours my gelding was lame from a kick injury. At least if (god forbid) anything did happen between our horses I wouldn't be blaming anyone else, plus I trust my horses implicitly! My mum's grumpy pony lives on her own in the next field, partly cos she's grumpy and partly cos she's a former laminitic!!

 

[amandaco2]

my mare has lived next door to toher horses for about the last 2 years because of the yards we have been on.
shes now in with her filly foal and they are in their own field together.

 

[showjump2003]

My two mares are out together with my dads mare. My two are pretty bossy and my dads mare does get bullied a little but thats how horses are. They decide who's in charge and the horses lower down the pecking order learn to stay away!

 

[cazzaroogie]

All my horses at my yard go out indiviudally all year round and all day. I find the horses are a lot better than in herds. They can still touch and see each other over fence but no injurys or anything.They all tend to be a lot calmer and quieter too.

 

[_Jazz_]

Ours, 1 mare and 2 geldings, are out together. The other elderly mare is in a seperate paddock as she is laminitic.
I always keep a newbie in another paddock-with no wire or other 'bad' fencing-so they can see the others but no nose to nose contact,just to monitor health and help them adjust before letting them communicate, strike out etc over a solid P&amp;R fence. I like to walk a newbie around the perimeter of the field first to help them acclimatise(sp?)too. Some may think this is OTT but it has worked, so far, for us. IMO the <font color="red"> </font> majority of horses will settle down together with no major upset if the introducing stage is handled sensitively. Obviously the size,layout of the fields would be taken into account and I prefer to introduce a horse that I know is 'streetwise' and 'fair'to a newbie first so the newbie isn't thrown out with a load of 'strangers ' all at once .
My mare spent a month on her own after her' bonded' partner died and although 'got on with it' with the added stress of grief I know she is much more secure with a fieldmate and then again our old pony was on his own for quite a while and seemed perfectly happy so I guess it really is down to the individual horse, if your's is happy, settled and confident then I would carry on as you are !!
p.s Alex Kate......Joey looks very well and sounds a real character
edited to make a little more sense!!!

 

[Enfys]

No, not at all. Downright commonsense if you ask me. Why ask for trouble if you can avoid it?
I have four out 24/7. The two bossy ones are in their own paddock, I tried them all together and although there was no kicking or biting, the wimpy girls were always kept moving on from their hay (even if there were a dozen piles, the bossy mare would chase them on) and they couldn't get in the shelter either and the two wimps DO like the shelter, the bossy ones don't use it but don't want the others too either! It amuses me though, unless the bullied girls can see the other two they scream their heads off. Herd politics!

 

[Tia]

No it isn't cruel; it's for their own good and the good of the other horses around.

One of mine spent many many months living on his own as he picked on the others and because he was so much bigger than everyone else I decided to have a field built especially for him. The paddock is immediately across from my front door so he used to be the first one to see me coming out - he loved this! His field also ran alongside the driveway and he loved to gallop alongside the truck when I returned.

I think his field made him feel incredibly special! However I also felt like you and I watched him interact with the other horses on the other side of the adjoining fence and then one day I just decided to give him another try in their field. He was fine, settled in a treat and has never caused any nonsense since.

 

[KatB]

I was always a massive fan of keeping them in herds, and when I had two, they lived out together, which was lovely until jealousy kicked in, and my cob could be downright nasty to the "new boy". It just wasnt safe, or practical to keep them together once they got aggressive towards each other....

 

[CrazyMare]

When I first got my girl she was part of a group of four, then went to a pair.

Then my yard got a new YO who was convinced my horse was psychotic and dangerous and insisited she went out alone, so for 3 years or so she was in individual turnout and not a happy horse looking back.

Now she is in a pair with a bigger gelding but she is DEFINATLY boss, if he tries anything he just gets shown a clean pair of heels!

Luckily they arent clingy and one can go out without the other, or come in etc, but when they are out together they are so cute, grooming each other and laying down together.

 

[gemz666]

My horse is turned out in a feild with about8-10 other horses
i prefer them to be turned out in a herd plus my boy being young gets frightened when he is alone